Method for breast screening in fused mammography

Abstract

A method for use in medical imaging of a patient including, with the patient immobilized with respect to an imaging reference frame, acquiring first digital imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality; processing the first digital imaging information to identify a feature for analysis; and using a second imaging modality to acquire targeted second imaging information for a second region of interest, the second region of interest corresponding to a subset of the first region of interest, wherein the second region of interest includes the feature for analysis. An apparatus for use in medical imaging comprising structure for immobilizing a patient with respect to an imaging reference frame; a first imaging system for acquiring first digital imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality; a processor processing the first digital imaging information using a diagnostic tool to identify a feature of interest; and a second imaging system for acquiring second imaging information using a second imaging modality, the second imaging information corresponding to a second region of interest including the feature for analysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 acquiring a medical image of a patient using a first imaging modality; 
 computer-processing the image to identify a sub-region of the image that contains a suspected abnormality; 
 acquiring a medical image of the sub-region using a different imaging modality; and 
 displaying results related to said image of the sub-region acquired with the different imaging modality; 
 wherein one of the modalities is x-ray imaging and the other is ultrasound imaging. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  in which the medical image acquired with the first imaging modality is a medical x-ray image of the patient. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  in which the medical image acquired with the second imaging modality is a medical ultrasound image of the patient. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  in which the medical image acquired with the first modality is a medical x-ray image and the medical image acquired with the second imaging modality is an ultrasound medical image. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  in which the medical image acquired with the first imaging modality comprises plural 2D x-ray images of the patient. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  in which the processing is configured to computer-process the plural 2D images to identify the sub-region that contains a suspected abnormality. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  in which the processing is configured to segment the medical image acquired with the first modality into plural segments and to provide segmented imaging data. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  in which the processing is configured to perform multi-resolution analysis in conjunction with providing the segmented imaging data so as to preserve selected features of the imaging data at high resolution but reduce an overall image quality. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  in which the processor is configured to conduct morphological processing to process imaging data extending over more than one segment of the segmented imaging data. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  in which the first imaging modality acquires an x-ray mammogram of the patient. 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 a first imaging structure acquiring a medical image of a patient using a first imaging modality; 
 a processor configured to computer-process the image to identify a sub-region of the image that contains a suspected abnormality; 
 a second imaging structure acquiring a medical image of the sub-region using a different imaging modality; and 
 a display configured to display results related to said image of the sub-region acquired with the different imaging modality. 
 wherein one of the modalities is x-ray imaging and the other is ultrasound imaging. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11  in which the first imaging structure comprises an x-ray imaging structure acquiring a medical x-ray image of the patient. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11  in which the second imaging structure comprises an ultrasound imaging structure acquiring a medical ultrasound image of the patient. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11  in which the first imaging structure is an x-ray imaging structure and the second imaging structure is an ultrasound imaging structure. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11  in which the first imaging structure is an x-ray imaging structure acquiring a medical image comprising plural 2D x-ray images of the patient. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  in which the processor is configured to computer-process the plural 2D images to identify the sub-region that contains a suspected abnormality. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11  in which the processor is configured to segment the medical image acquired with the first modality into plural segments and to provide segmented imaging data. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17  in which the processor is configured to perform multi-resolution analysis in conjunction with providing the segmented imaging data so as to preserve selected features of the imaging data at high resolution but reduce an overall image quality. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17  in which the processor is configured to conduct morphological processing to process imaging data extending over more than one segment of the segmented imaging data. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 11  in which the first imaging structure acquires an x-ray mammogram of the patient.